Investigation of optical turbulence over an urban area: comparison between experimental results and simulation

Detlev Sprung; Carmen Ullwer; Erik Sucher; Thomas Kociok; Alexander M. J. van Eijk; Karin Stein

doi:10.1117/12.2572997

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20 September 2020 Investigation of optical turbulence over an urban area: comparison between experimental results and simulation

Detlev Sprung, Carmen Ullwer, Erik Sucher, Thomas Kociok, Alexander M. J. van Eijk, Karin Stein

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Proceedings Volume 11532, Environmental Effects on Light Propagation and Adaptive Systems III; 1153205 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2572997
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2020, Online Only

Abstract

Our aim is to characterize the optical turbulence over the urban areas. Since it is difficult to measure 𝐶2/𝑛 (see PDF) continuously over an urban area, we explore the possibility of using a mesoscale weather prediction model to predict 𝐶2/𝑛 (see PDF) over the urban area. To this end, the output of the Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF) was coupled with a micrometeorological parametrization, which allowed calculation of 𝐶2/𝑛 (see PDF) at each numerical grid point in the surface layer. Numerical results are compared to data of path-averaged measurements of optical turbulence performed with a large aperture scintillometer (BLS900) over the city of Ettlingen (southwestern Germany) during two time periods in Spring and Summer 2013. Effects of the heat island effect are revealed by high turbulence values, observed at night-time.

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Detlev Sprung, Carmen Ullwer, Erik Sucher, Thomas Kociok, Alexander M. J. van Eijk, and Karin Stein "Investigation of optical turbulence over an urban area: comparison between experimental results and simulation", Proc. SPIE 11532, Environmental Effects on Light Propagation and Adaptive Systems III, 1153205 (20 September 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2572997

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